1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a multi-directional operating device used for operating body that is operated by being inclined. The present disclosure particularly relates to a multi-directional operating device using a magnetic body and a vehicle shift apparatus using this multi-directional operating device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, operating bodies that are operated by being inclined are widely used for devices such as remote controllers for an electronic device such as a television or a video cassette recorder, input devices for a game machine, and multi-directional operating devices for a vehicle. Particularly for, for example, the input devices for a game machine and the multi-directional operating devices for a vehicle, a type of the multi-directional operating devices is used with which the operating body is held to perform inclination operation. Accordingly, there exists a demand for, for example, the multi-directional operating devices for a vehicle that provide, in order to improve operating sensation, tactile sensation when a changing operation is performed by inclining the operating body.
As such a multi-directional operating device providing the tactile sensation, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-144905 (related-art example) has proposed a shift operating apparatus for an automatic transmission 900 (FIGS. 18 and 19) applied to a vehicle having a shift pattern of FIG. 17. FIG. 17 is a top view of the shift pattern of the vehicle to which the shift operating apparatus for an automatic transmission 900 is applied. FIG. 18 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a state in which a shift lever 901 is in an N range (neutral range) of FIG. 17 in the shift operating apparatus for the automatic transmission 900 of the related-art example. FIG. 19 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a state in which the shift lever 901 is at a second line II of FIG. 17 in the shift operating apparatus for an automatic transmission 900 of the related-art example.
The shift operating apparatus for an automatic transmission 900 of FIGS. 18 and 19 includes the following components: the shift lever 901 to which a knob 902 is secured and which is swung; a holder 903 which is secured to the shift lever 901 and which is swung; a first shaft 905 which allows the shift lever 901 to be swung and a second shaft 907 (see FIG. 19) perpendicular to the first shaft 905; and a casing 904 by which the first shaft 905 and the second shaft 907 are rotatably supported.
As illustrated in FIG. 18, the shift lever 901 of the shift operating apparatus for an automatic transmission 900 can be swung in a Y direction of FIG. 17 about the first shaft 905 as a swing axis to positions of FIG. 17 including a P range (parking range), an R range (reverse range), the N range (neutral range), and a D range (drive range). In so doing, the shift lever 901 is supported at each of the positions (P range, R range, N range, or D range) and automatically returned by using a tactile spring 909 and a tactile member 910 disposed in a lower body 903c of the holder 903 and tactile grooves 904A formed at an inner bottom of the casing 904. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 18, the tactile grooves 904A include the following tactile grooves arranged in the front-rear direction: a first tactile groove 904b that supports the shift lever 901 in the P range; a second tactile groove 904c that supports the shift lever 901 in the R range; a third tactile groove 904d that supports the shift lever 901 in the N range; and the fourth tactile groove 904e that supports the shift lever 901 in the D range. The tactile member 910 urged by the tactile spring 909 slides on these tactile grooves 904A.
Furthermore, when being swung to the positions, the shift lever 901 is moved to a first line I, the second line II, a third line III, and a fourth line IV of FIG. 17 and is swung. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 19, the shift lever 901 of the shift operating apparatus for an automatic transmission 900 can also be swung in the X direction of FIG. 17 about the second shaft 907 as the swing axis. In so doing, the shift lever 901 can be similarly moved to lines (first line I, second line II, third line III, and fourth line IV) by using the tactile spring 909 and the tactile member 910 disposed in the lower body 903c of the holder 903 and tactile grooves 904B formed at the inner bottom of the casing 904.
With the shift operating apparatus for an automatic transmission 900 structured as described above, the tactile sensation can be provided to the shift lever 901 when the tactile member 910 moved between the tactile grooves 904A and tactile grooves 904B provided corresponding to the positions and the lines.
However, in order to provide the tactile sensation, a sliding mechanism in which the tactile member 910 slides on the tactile grooves 904A and the tactile grooves 904B is used for the related-art example. Accordingly, when swing operation of the shift lever 901 is repeatedly performed, there arises a problem of degradation of the durability of the sliding mechanism such as wear on the tactile grooves 904A, the tactile grooves 904B, and the tactile spring 909, degradation of spring properties of the tactile spring 909, and play between the tactile spring 909 and the tactile member 910. Furthermore, since the tactile member 910 is urged by the tactile spring 909, a space is required in the depth direction (Z2 direction of FIG. 18). Thus, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the apparatus.